Royal Secrets
by CJS-DEPPendent
Summary: When a Royal party is interrupted by bad news, Clarisse finds herself fearing for the lives of two people she loves ... amongst the hightened emotions and the fear, a long held secret comes to light. Clarisse/Joseph. My first PD fanfic, please R&R. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't think I really need to say this … but, no, I do not own the Princess Diaries (book or film), it's characters, or anything in it

_**Disclaimer:**__I don't think I _really_ need to say this … but, no, I do not own the Princess Diaries (book or film), it's characters, or anything in it. I make no profit from these stories. I am merely borrowing these characters for fun._

_**A/N:**__Okay, so I know that this isn't my usual category for stories (i.e. It's not CSI, POTC or –more recently – tSoM) … but I just couldn't resist writing something about these characters (particularly Joe and Clarisse) … Seeing as this is my first PD story, please bare with me. I'm always open to constructive criticism, but please, no flames as they are a waste of both mine and your time._

_**A/N2:** Also, I should probably warn you that this story doesn't really follow the movie (or book) time line ... basically ... just imagine Clarisse and Joe havent gotten married yet ... _

_Anyway, I hope you enjoy:_

* * *

**_Royal Secrets_**

It was hard for the 62 year old Queen of Genovia to realise that it had been 42 years to the day since she'd given birth to her first son, Pierre. But it had and, to celebrate the date, the whole palace was busy preparing for the party that would be thrown that evening.

* * *

As the queen sat in her study, there was a soft knock on the door and someone walked in.

"Oh, Joseph, it's you" she said with a smile as he appeared.

Smiling back, Joseph noted how odd it was to see Her Majesty sitting at her desk, her phone held between a shoulder and her ear while signing a stack of papers.

"Can you believe this?" she asked motioning to the phone with her free hand "they put me on hold! The Queen!"

Laughing at her exasperated expression, Joseph replied "Well, my dear, if you wish, I can hunt them down and have them hung by their toes in the courtyard"

"Would you?" she asked with a smile

Smiling back, Joe took the phone from her and placed it back on its holder saying "don't worry, Charlotte's got it covered" before she could protest. "Now, Pierre has called and is on his way, everything is set up… you should really go and get ready, your majesty…"

Sighing, Clarisse nodded and left the room with Joseph following closely behind her.

* * *

Sitting in her room fully dressed, Clarisse paused her search for the perfect necklace to gaze out the window and the raging storm outside. It was not normal for such a storm to happen in mid-summer, but nowadays, Clarisse had realised, anything was possible.

"Your majesty…" came Joseph's voice from the doorway

"Come in…" she replied looking in the mirror to ensure that her tiara was secure on her head.

"The guests have arrived…are you ready?" he asked stepping into the room and taking a deep breath at the beauty sitting before him.

"Almost…" she replied checking her hair in the mirror as he stepped closer and kissed her hand.

"Beautiful" he stated looking up at her.

Just then, unbeknownst to them, Charlotte, the queen's assistant stepped into the room to find, as she'd gotten used to, her queen and head of security sharing a romantic moment.

Taking a step back so that, were they to look up, they wouldn't see her, she knocked lightly on the door and waited to be invited in.

Standing up and returning to what was deemed an acceptable distance from the Queen, Joseph looked towards the door as Clarisse told whomever had knocked to enter.

"Your majesty…" said Charlotte as she entered with her clipboard in hand "Everyone has arrived except the Prince. And Mia requested that I come and get you so that we can, and I quote, 'get the party started'"

Smiling, Clarisse patted the side of her head once more to make sure her hair was properly set, then stood and, nodding at Joseph who bowed slightly motioning for her to go ahead of him, walked towards the door with Charlotte and Joseph following behind her.

* * *

In the ballroom, Mia was taking on the role of the queen greeting all the old, boring members of parliament and keeping an eye on the von Trokens.

"Her Majesty, Queen Clarisse Renaldi" announced one of the guards standing by the doors as two others opened them and Clarisse stepped out with Joseph and Charlotte at either side of her

After a general bow from the crown, Clarisse stepped into the room, the band began to play and the party, as Mia put it, 'got started'.

"finally…" said Nicholas, Mia's husband of six months when he caught her on the dance floor "I can get a dance with my wife…"

Smiling at her former nemesis, Mia allowed herself to be led through the steps of the 'Wango' motioning with her head towards where Queen Clarisse and Joe were dancing.

"Do you think they'll ever own up to it?" he asked her smiling in the direction she had motioned to.

"Meh.." she shrugged "…I guess one day they'll have to… I mean, I don't think there is a single person within the palace who doesn't know about them…"

Suddenly a loud 'bang' was heard and all the lights went out. The room was filled with screams of startled guests before the palace security took control and told everyone to remain calm while the generators kicked in.

"What a storm!" exclaimed Clarisse as she and Joe began dancing again once the lights were back on "Has someone been able to contact Pierre yet?" she asked him

"I'll check, my dear" he said whispering the last part as another dancing couple passed by them before kissing her hand and moving towards where Charlotte and Shades were talking allowing Prime Minister Motaz to take over dancing with the Queen.

"Anything?" Charlotte asked Shades who was listening intently to his ear piece

"Her majesty is getting worried" said Joe as Shades shook his head

"We can't get his cell, there's too much static from the storm…" said Shades

Looking over the other man's shoulder, Joseph watched the woman he loved dancing with Sebastian, smiling and chatting all the while looking more and more concerned "keep trying" he said "if we don't hear from him in the next five minutes, I'll go look for him"

Nodding, shades redialled the number while Joe and Charlotte watched in silence.

After several more failed calls, Joe and Shades decided to go look for the prince themselves and while Shades went off to get the car ready, Joseph went to inform the Queen.

"Your Majesty…" he said, his professional tone not hiding his concern which elicited several glances from some of the guests talking to the Queen.

"Yes?" she asked stepping away from the others

"Shades and I are going out to look for Pierre" before she could voice her concern, he added "I'm sure everything is alright, but seeing as we can't reach his phone, we want to make sure, don't worry…" as he was about to add a 'my dear', they were joined by Mia and Nicholas "…your majesty" he finished

After a nod from the queen who looked all but convinced, he left to join Shades and Clarisse was left with Mia and Nicholas.

"Don't worry, grandma" said Mia placing a hand on the Queen's shoulder knowing her mind was probably jumping to the worst conclusions

"You know Joe will find him…" said Nicholas trying to be supportive as Sebastian who had just joined the group nodded

* * *

"This doesn't look good, Joe…" said Shades as they travelled along the road Pierre should have taken

"I know…I know" sighed Joseph noting the frightening resemblance of this night to the night Prince Philippe had died.

**TBC

* * *

**********

_I hope you liked that … there's more if you're interested, just leave me a review and I'll post the next part. Please do review…_

_Thanks,_

_CJS-DEPPendent_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer:**__I don't think I _really_ need to say this … but, no, I do not own the Princess Diaries (book or film), it's characters, or anything in it. I make no profit from these stories. I am merely borrowing these characters for fun._

_**A/N:**__ Here's the second part, hope you like it, please review _

_**A/N2:**__ Things in italics are flashbacks (there'll be quite a few in future chapters)_

_Anyway, I hope you enjoy:_

* * *

Almost an hour had gone by since Joseph and Shades had left and, while the party went on like nothing was wrong, Clarisse sat on a bench at the side of the room, her mind, much like Joseph's, travelling back to the night her son Philippe had died.

… "_Where is he?" asked an impatient Rupert as he paced his study with Clarisse sitting as calmly as she could by the desk and a storm raging outside._

_There had just been a huge argument in Parliament and Rupert needed to discuss what to do next with his son, the future King of Genovia._

"_Charlotte, try his phone again…" said Clarisse, her voice beginning to shake._

_It was only two hours later that they heard anything. While charlotte continued to try and reach the Prince, Clarisse received the call from the Hospital: Philippe had just arrived; he'd been in a car crash and was in very bad shape…_"Joe!" called Shades pointing ahead of the car "look there!"

* * *

"Stop the car!" said Joseph getting out into the rain and running towards the wrecked Ford.

"Your Highness!" yelled Shades ignoring the fact that Pierre no longer responded to the title.

"Pierre!" called Joe now standing by the car "Shades! Call an ambulance!" he shouted behind him as he spotted the bleeding Prince in the car.

As Joe tried to reach the Prince, a tree near by was struck by lightning and a particularly large branch started falling in Joe's direction forcing him to jump forwards and onto a pile of sharp metal and glass that had been torn from the car as it totalled.

"Joseph!" yelled shades running towards his fallen friend, his cell phone pressed to his ear to call an ambulance… or, now, two.

* * *

_Ring ring ring_

"Charlotte…you're ringing" said Mia who was now standing between Charlotte, who was staring out the window, and Nicholas as they stood by the ever more preoccupied queen.

"Oh…uh…hello?" she spoke into the phone "uh…yes…uh, my… uh… certainly… uh… I… thank you…" she hung up, her face becoming very pale.

"What is it?" asked Clarisse

"That was…uh...the hospital…" all around there were sharp intakes of breath "Pierre has just arrived there and uh…"

Unable to hear anymore, the usually calm and collected queen stood and left the room. Concerned for her Grandmother, Mia followed quickly leaving Nicholas and, now, Prime Minister Motaz to hear the last piece of information.

"…uh…I…One of the guards who found him…he's also…um…they say he's in bad shape…"

"Guards?" asked Sebastian looking slightly confused

"Joe and Shades…" said Nicholas noticing Charlotte's eyes watering "Hey…" he said taking her in a hug "whoever it is, I'm sure he'll be fine…"

As charlotte remained silent, quietly crying into Nick's shoulder, muttering something about Robert, Shades' real name, Sebastian cleared his throat and said "I'll go inform the queen"

* * *

"Grandma…" said Mia sitting down on the Queen's bed next to where she was lying "…Grandma, he'll be alright, you'll see…"

"I…this is like…I…Philippe…" said Clarisse

Surprised to see her grandma cry, something she had never seen, Mia placed a hand on her arm and continued to try and calm her.

"Look, we'll go down to the hospital and you'll be able to see him, I'm sure he'll be fine…"

"I…yes…" agreed Clarisse as she tried to calm her breaths and sit up.

_Knock knock knock_

"I'll get it, you just stay here and calm down, alright?" asked Mia getting off the bed and moving towards the door

* * *

"Oh, Sebastian, it's you…" she said stepping out of the suite and closing the door behind her

"I'm afraid, Princess, there is some more news…one of the guards who found the Prince…uh…was hurt too…"

"Oh god…Joseph and Shades…" said Mia covering her mouth with her hand

"Your grandmother doesn't know yet…I…I think this will…"

"Yes…I know…I…I'll speak to her…call Leonard and tell him we'll need the car…"

"Very well, Princess"

* * *

"Who was that?" asked Clarisse standing in the living room of her suite, looking fully composed and ready to appear in public again

"Uh…that was Prime Minister Motaz…uh, grandma, there's something you should…it's not about Pierre" she added as she saw Clarisse begin to panic again "It's uh…there is one more person at the hospital…uh…we don't know which one it is…but one of the two guards who found him is hurt too…I…It could be Joseph…"

"What?!" asked the queen sitting down on her couch, covering her face with her hand

"Grandma…we should go…" said Mia unsure of what reaction to expect considering Clarisse didn't know she knew about her and Joe.

"Yes…yes we should" replied Clarisse taking a deep breath and standing

"Alright…" said Mia waiting for Clarisse to head for the door to follow.

* * *

"Charlotte, call the hospital and warn them that we are on our way, then… oh …" Mia paused her instructions as she saw how upset Charlotte looked, after all, it was no secret that she and Shades had something going and it was just as possible that it was him lying in the hospital as Joseph "never mind, Charlotte, go ahead to the car, I'll get Lilly to do it…" she said referring to her high school best friend who had recently re-located to Genovia and was working as Mia's assistant/advisor; in a way, she was Mia's Charlotte.

"Don't worry about it…" said Lilly who had been standing by her friend since she had returned from the Queen's suite "I'll get the party wrapped up and I'll call the hospital so they know you're coming…"

"Thank you so much…when you're done, come down to the hospital…"

"That was my plan" she replied with a smile as Mia gave her a quick hug before leaving to join her grandmother, Charlotte, Nicholas, Sebastian and the 'spare' driver Leonard by the gate.

**TBC**

* * *

_I'll post the next chapter some time tomorrow … please tell me what you think…_

_Thanks,_

_CJS-DEPPendent_

* * *

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer:**__I don't think I _really_ need to say this … but, no, I do not own the Princess Diaries (book or film), it's characters, or anything in it. I make no profit from these stories. I am merely borrowing these characters for fun._

_**A/N:**__ Third Part (Yay :D)! … I just thought I'd mention again that this story doesn't really fit into any timeline with the movies or books (as you've probably been able to tell) … If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask me._

_Anyway, I hope you enjoy and please review,_

* * *

As the five of them entered the emergency room, there was a general commotion and every doctor and nurse bowed down.

"Your Majesty…" greeted the oldest looking doctor as he kissed her hand "I am Dr. Dawes. I am the chief of staff and have personally overseen the care of the Prince and your guard"

"Where is my son?" asked Clarisse

Before moving on to explanations, the doctor motioned for them to enter a small room off to one side away from everyone else's curious eyes.

"He was taken into surgery when he arrived, he should be out soon" noticing the Queen's look of concern he quickly added "Not to worry, your Majesty, all he has is a couple of broken bones, the surgery is to repair damage done to his right tibia. We expect him to make a full recovery. He did, however, lose consciousness, so we intend to keep him here for observation for a few days, to make sure all is well…"

"Thank god!" exclaimed Sebastian as everyone heaved a sigh of relief and the Queen's face softened

"Your guard however, a Mr. Joseph Bonnell was not so lucky…"

Before the man could finish, there were a series of intakes of breath and all eyes fell on Clarisse who, keeping her face as calm as possible was, they all knew, breaking inside.

"…he, uh, was injured while trying to reach the Prince, he has several cuts, some of dangerous depths, he's in surgery right now and we are trying to repair the damage he suffered to one of his kidneys…"

"Kidney?!" asked Nicholas who seemed to be the only one capable of expressing his shock at the actual depth of the cuts Joe had suffered.

"I'm afraid so, at the moment it seems like we may be able to save it…however, if we can't…he may need a transplant…"

There was a moment of silence while everyone absorbed the information before the doctor's pager went off.

"Excuse me…" he said stepping out of the room.

"I can't believe this…" said Charlotte sitting down on a chair next to where Clarisse was now sitting, a hand covering her eyes.

"Um, do you think you could excuse us for a moment?" asked Mia looking at everyone else, trying to get some time alone with her grandmother.

"Certainly princess, we'll be right outside" said Sebastian leaving with Nicholas and Charlotte in tail.

"Grandma…look…you can stop holding it in…we all know…I…I'm so sorry…" said Mia

Clarisse continued to just lie there

"Grandma..."

"Mia…I…do you think you could get me some water?" she asked hoping for some time alone

Understanding, Mia nodded and softly replied "sure, grandma, I'll be right outside, call me if you need anything"

* * *

"How is she doing?" asked Charlotte as Mia joined them

"Well…I think she wants some time alone…" sighed Mia stepping close to Nicholas who placed his arm around her "…It's a lot to take in I guess…"

* * *

Back in her room, Clarisse's mind was racing back to the night of Philippe's death.

…"_Your Majesties…" said the doctor as he entered the room where the King and Queen had been asked to wait for news…three hours earlier_

"_Where is our son?" asked Rupert standing_

"_I…um…when Prince Philippe arrived, he was taken into surgery…he…uh…there was massive internal bleeding…we…we did everything we could but…uh…I'm sorry…Prince Philippe is dead…" said the doctor as respectfully and composedly as he could considering his own grieving._

_Luckily, Joseph, the queen's personal bodyguard had been standing right by her and was ready to catch her as she fell to the floor. It was an odd scene for anyone to see: the ever composed monarchs, Clarisse and Rupert Renaldi, he leaning against a wall, his forehead resting on his arm, silent tears falling down his face, her sobbing inconsolably in her bodyguard's arms…_"Should we check on her?" asked Charlotte after they'd given the queen thirty minutes to herself during which time Shades had appeared and was now sitting next to Charlotte, her hand clasped in his, not caring if anyone saw them.

* * *

Nodding, Mia stood and handed the coffee cup she'd been given but hadn't touched to Nicholas "I'll go"

* * *

"Grandma?" she asked as she slowly opened the door

"Mia…come in" said Clarisse who was sitting on the bed, leaning against the headboard, a weak smile on her face and some tear stains on her cheeks "any news?"

"The doctor came down a few minutes ago to tell us things are going well with Pierre and he should be in recovery within the next thirty minutes…"

"What about…" but Clarisse couldn't quite bring herself to say Joseph's name

Taking a deep breath, Mia nodded "We don't know yet…Sebastian volunteered to go up to the OR and ask but he's not back yet…"

"Mia…I, uh, I'm sorry for how I've acted since we got here…I just…It's all so…"

"Grandma, I understand…" said Mia taking her hand "and you have nothing to apologise for…If it were Nicholas up there I wouldn't be half as composed as you are…" she said hoping Clarisse would finally open up to her.

"Nicholas? I don't…"

"Grandma, I know how…uh…Important Joe is to you…I uh…you have every reason to want to be alone and cry…"

"Mia…you know I can't…"

"I know…" she replied knowing perfectly well that there was no way Clarisse could be seen looking so upset over what everyone believed to be just a bodyguard.

"Do you think you are up to going to see Pierre when he wakes up? The doctor said that, once he gets to recovery it should only be fifteen minutes to half an hour…"

"I'd like that" said Clarisse sitting up and taking a deep breath "in the mean time, though, I'd rather stay in here, but you can tell Charlotte and Nicholas to come in…"

"You sure, Grandma?"

"Yes…" replied Clarisse with a nod and a light squeeze of Mia's hand.

* * *

"Your majesty…" said Shades as he entered the room and bowed to her "Your Majesty, I am so…"

"Nonsense Robert" she said looking at him with a light smile on her face "there is nothing to apologise for… you are alright aren't you?" she then asked

He merely nodded

"Well then, don't apologise…"

"But if I had…Joe might…"

Now Clarisse merely held up a hand, she could handle talking to him, just not about Joseph "As I said, Robert, there is nothing to apologise for"

* * *

An hour later, Dr. Dawes returned to tell them that everything had gone well with Pierre and that he had just woken up.

"Now, he'll still be a bit groggy and possibly disoriented, but seeing familiar faces should help…" he added just outside the door to the recovery room the Prince was in which had been cleared for him.

"Thank you" said Mia as she followed her Grandmother into the room.

**TBC**

_

* * *

_

Hope you enjoyed that chapter, I'll post the next one as soon as I can … please leave me a review and tell me what you think :D

_Thanks,_

_CJS-DEPPendent_

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer:**__I don't think I _really_ need to say this … but, no, I do not own the Princess Diaries (book or film), it's characters, or anything in it. I make no profit from these stories. I am merely borrowing these characters for fun._

_**A/N: **__Here's the fourth chapter. Thank you all so much for your kind reviews … I hope this remains interesting_

_Enjoy, and please review:_

* * *

"Pierre!" said Clarisse in a low, urgent voice as she held his hand and looked down at his bruised and scraped face.

"Mother…" he replied in a low, husky, slightly shaky voice

"Shh…don't try to talk…"

To Mia, who was standing slightly behind her grandma, this was all new. Seeing Clarisse acting motherly was something completely new and, strangely, odd. Sure, she'd seen her with Pierre a couple of times before, but never really in a situation where they really were mother and son.

"I…I remember…uh…Joseph…he was…where is he?" he asked looking around, accustomed to always seeing the man standing beside his mother fully dressed in black.

"He…he got hurt at the accident site, he's in surgery right now…" she said trying to sound as detached as possible, something Mia knew was useless with Pierre seeing as he had always been one of the biggest supporters of their 'non-existent' relationship.

Knowing how much his mother must be hurting, Pierre changed the subject quickly to Mia "Ah, and there's my favourite niece…how are you doing, my dear?" he asked

"I'm okay I guess…Haven't seen you in a while, how are things at the parish?"

"All's well, all's well…and where is that husband of yours?"

"Nicholas?"

"No, Frank…yes Nicholas…" said Pierre joking, glad to see that his mother was smiling a little at the exchange

"Funny…he's just outside; the doctor doesn't want more than two people in here yet…"

"Ah, of course, of course…"

* * *

Two hours later, Sebastian finally returned from the OR waiting room - where he had chosen to stay until Joseph was out of surgery - to tell them that he was being brought to the same room as the prince and that, for now, he was stable.

* * *

When Joseph was wheeled in laying unconscious on a bed, tubes sticking out of his nose and mouth, all eyes fell on Clarisse again.

"I…uh…" she said in a low voice so only Mia could hear her

Nodding, Mia made some excuse to leave and, looking at the others who had now been allowed into the room to visit Pierre, motioned for them to do the same.

Looking down at Pierre who had fallen asleep half an hour earlier, Clarisse moved around the bed and past the curtain that had just been drawn to stand by Joseph's bed as the nurses and doctors finished hooking him up and left.

"Joseph…" she said in a low whisper passing her hand over the security guard's forehead, a tear falling down her cheek. Luckily the doctors were nowhere to be seen at that moment, because the Queen was in no state to be seen by anyone.

Looking behind her, Clarisse spotted a small white hospital chair and sat there looking at the one and only man she had ever loved, her mind floating back to some 44 years earlier…

…"_Your Majesty" spoke Max the, at the time, head of Security at the palace with a bow "may I introduce to you our new night watchman, Joseph."_

"_It's a pleasure to meet you, your Majesty" said the new comer with a small bow before following after Max_

_It had been a warm summer night and Clarisse, who had just become queen a few weeks earlier at the age of 19 found herself staring after the man for god knows what reason…_

Sighing, Clarisse adjusted the back of the chair and laid back slightly, her thoughts, for the first time in many, many years going back to one night she had vowed to forget…

…"_We're going to be late, Clarisse!" came Rupert's voice from the other side of the doors to her suite._

"_I'll be right there, darling" she replied putting the final touches on her hair and ensuring that her tiara was well fixed on her head._

"_Ah, there you are!" said Rupert as she descended the main stairs towards where their two horses were set. It was only the second time she was going to accompany her husband in the inspection of the Royal Guard and, as per norm, she had to ride side saddle. Wanting to do things properly, Clarisse had chosen to leave her riding companion, Herbie, in his cupboard and was, for the first time in public, going to attempt the real thing. _

_Of course anyone who had seen her attempts in riding class would tell her she wasn't yet ready, but stubborn as she knew she was, Clarisse got up on her horse, both legs hanging on the same side, and started off beside her husband, Max riding behind him and Joseph, who had recently been promoted to Bodyguard riding behind her._

_No more than 10 minutes into the ride, Clarisse felt herself begin to slip to the side. There was little she could do to hoist herself back up seeing as she was holding onto the reins and any tug on them would make the horse change direction and probably collide with one of the other animals along the way._

_Not being able to pull herself up, Clarisse simply kept sliding until, with a scream, she fell to the floor hitting her knee on a rock as she did. In an instant, everything went silent, Rupert pulled his horse to a halt and got ready to dismount as Joseph, who had just been entrusted with the Queen's safety and was not about to fail her, leaped from his horse and, in no more than three steps, knelt next to the Queen who, clutching her knee, seemed to be in quite a bit of pain. _

_Knowing the parade had to proceed, Clarisse allowed herself to be carried by Joseph towards the barns as her husband remounted the horse and proceeded with Max following behind him, every now and then glancing at the younger man who was carrying the Queen away._

_--_

_Joseph had been working at the palace for close to a year and Clarisse could have sworn that, even though nothing physical had happened between them, she and Joseph had shared more moments than she ever would with her husband. And she was sure the moment they were having now, as he held her, was one of those._

"_Are you alright?" asked Joseph after setting the Queen down on a couch which, for some odd reason, existed in the barn._

"_I…my knee" she said trying to not look up at the man. _

_It was becoming very difficult, almost painful really, to ignore the fact that he had a stronger effect on her than her husband ever could._

_Trying to be as gentle as possible, Joseph pulled her dress up to just above her knee and inspected the swollen knee. As he stood to call the doctor, Clarisse could have sworn that there had been something bordering on desire in his eyes. _

_--_

_After her knee had been examined, Clarisse had been put on bed rest and forbidden to even move the injured joint._

"_Can I get you anything, your majesty?" asked Joseph who was just about to leave the room after ensuring that everything was alright._

"_Thank you, Joseph, but all I need is some sleep…" she said resting a hand on her forehead and leaning back onto her pillows, desperately hoping the pain would go away._

"_Very well, your Majesty, I'll be right outside" he said bowing slightly and heading for the door..._"Grandma?" came Mia's voice, suddenly bringing Clarisse back from her near sleep state "Grandma?" she asked again

* * *

"Huh? Oh…yes?" she asked sitting up a little straighter and looking around.

"You fell asleep … maybe we should go home… you can come back in the…"

"No" said Clarisse maybe a little to firmly "I…I mean, you can go, I'd rather stay here, I'm fine really…"

"But…are you sure?" asked Mia

"Yes…" nodded her grandmother looking around, first at her son, then at the man she loved "…you go get some rest…I'll see you in the morning"

Leaning down, Mia hugged her grandmother before leaving.

* * *

"She says she'd rather stay" said Mia to Sebastian, Shades, Charlotte and Nicholas who were waiting outside.

"Lily just called, she's finally gotten everything worked out and she asked if you still wanted her to come down…I said you'd call her back"

Nodding Mia sighed "…uh…I say we head back, there isn't much we can do here…we can all come back in the morning and see how things are going"

Nodding, Nicholas and Sebastian left with Mia while Charlotte and Shades decided to stay behind for the Queen in case she needed anything.

**TBC**

_I hope you liked that, please tell me what you thought :D_

_Thanks,_

_CJS-DEPPendent_

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

_**Disclaimer:**__I don't think I _really_ need to say this … but, no, I do not own the Princess Diaries (book or film), it's characters, or anything in it. I make no profit from these stories. I am merely borrowing these characters for fun._

_**A/N: **__Thank you all for your reviews, they're really incentivising me to post faster! _

_**A/N2:**__ to JulieFan35: thank you for pointing out that mistake, I've corrected it. And this, I guess, goes to anyone: I don't have a beta and, even though I do proof read, sometimes I skip some mistakes, so if you see any, please don't hesitate to tell me! Thanks ; )_

_Enjoy, and please review:_Back in the ICU, Clarisse found her thoughts slipping again…

* * *

…"_Joseph!"_ _called Clarisse as she woke from an uncomfortable sleep, her knee throbbing._

_No more than five seconds later, the door to her suit had opened and Joseph had stepped in. It had been about three hours since she'd fallen asleep and she had no doubt that he had stood outside the entire time._

"_Your majesty?" _

"_My knee is throbbing … could you get me something from my medicine cabinet?" she asked looking towards the door to the bathroom._

"_Certainly" he replied heading that way as he added "Also, ma'am, his Majesty stopped by some time ago. I told him you were asleep and he requested I inform him when you wake up… should I call him?" he concluded as he re-entered the suite._

"_Uh…no…I'd rather not have to hear him complain about me ruining the parade right now … just, if he asks, tell him I'm still asleep" she said taking the pills from him and waiting while he went to the other side of the room to fetch her a glass of water to take them with._

"_Ruin the Parade?" he asked handing her the glass and watching as she downed it "It wasn't your fault, your Majesty … riding side saddle … I cannot understand why that is still done … it looks so uncomfortable … and is obviously a security risk" he added making her laugh lightly_

"_It _is_ acutely uncomfortable!" she said placing the glass on her night table_

"_And…if I may say so, your majesty, saving you was definitely more entertaining than riding through that whole thing in the sun…"_

_Again she laughed. It was another of those moments. Every now and then he'd say something like that, something that could be interpreted one way or another. She'd usually just laugh and that would be that… but on that night she found herself replying in what she was sure was a more than 'flirty' fashion. Years later, she blamed it all on the painkillers. Right then, she wasn't even sure she was thinking._

"_Well…being 'saved', as you call it, by you was definitely more fun than riding through that whole thing, trying to keep my balance on the horse…"_

"_So, is it possible you may have actually planned to fall off?" he asked a slight grin playing on his face_

"_I didn't … but come to think of it, it could become a very good way to escape from these things in the future…" she said smiling back as they both laughed_

"…_ah, but what would the people of Genovia say of their Queen's riding skills if you constantly 'fell off' horses and had to be carried off by her bodyguard?"_

"_I think they'd probably be saying more about the being 'carried off' part than the 'falling off' part…" she said, suddenly not sure if she should meet his eyes._

"_Oh really?" he asked with a laugh "and why is that?"_

_She was silent, her eyes suddenly very intent on studying the back of her hand…until his covered it and she was forced to look up in surprise._

"…_Why is that, your majesty?" he asked looking straight into her light blue eyes_

"_Clarisse…" she whispered, her eyes never leaving his_

"_Clarisse…" he whispered back leaning towards her until his lips brushed with hers, very lightly at first, then, as she got over the shock and began to respond, more passionately. Never breaking contact, he sat on the edge of her bed and she slowly pulled him towards her. And, truth be told, he was turning out to be a better painkiller than the pills she'd taken..._"…code blue!" was the sound that brought Clarisse out of her daze.

* * *

As she looked up from the chair where she had been sitting, she saw about seven doctors and nurses crowding around Joseph, one seemed to be asking her to step aside, but she wasn't registering anything. From the moment her eyes had fallen on the heart monitor which was, with a continuous 'beep', displaying a flat line, she'd lost all other senses.

She wasn't even sure how someone had managed to get her next to her son and closed the curtain between the beds. But she did know that she was now leaning on his bed, looking at the curtain in front of her as it moved. Suddenly she felt a hand take hers and looked down to see Pierre looking up at her as he squeezed her hand.

"It'll be ok…" he whispered as she fell into his arms and, leaning against his chest cried without caring who saw her.

* * *

"Shh…" said Pierre as Charlotte came into the room looking for Clarisse

"Is everything alright?" she asked Pierre seeing Clarisse asleep on the bed

"Joe's heart stopped…"

"Oh god!" said Charlotte bringing her hands to her mouth

"…he's alright now…they managed to get him back…but I heard them say something about his kidneys…it didn't sound good, Charlotte."

Just then Clarisse began to stir

"Mother?"

"Wha…" began Clarisse as she looked up at her son "I…I'm sorry…" she said sitting up

"It's alright…I kinda owed you for all the times you comforted me as a kid" he smiled

"How's…" she began looking at the curtain which was no longer moving

"He's ok for now…" said Pierre smiling as his Mother stood.

"Your majesty" began Charlotte "would you like to come with me up to the Cafeteria?"

"I can't leave …"

"He … they wouldn't be alone, I'm sure Shades wouldn't mind waiting in here until we got back. I'm sure some tea would do you good, your majesty" she said looking at Pierre who nodded.

Sighing, Clarisse nodded "Very well… I'll be right back" she added as she kissed her son's forehead.

"Take your time" he added getting a small chuckle from her.

* * *

"Oh, your Majesty!" said a startled nurse as she noticed who was next to her in the line to pay and bowed.

Smiling at the young woman, Clarisse nodded and then turned back to Charlotte who was carrying a tray with two teas and some biscuits.

Once they'd paid and been bowed to by a few more people, the two women sat down at a table in the far corner of the cafeteria.

"Thank you for getting me out of there, Charlotte" said Clarisse "I needed this" she added smiling at the cup of Tea she was holding with both hands.

"I was just doing my job, your Majesty" replied the assistant

Smiling Clarisse replied "Oh, Charlotte. You've been working for me for so long, you know I consider you a friend… You do more than any assistant would… You do know that don't you? I just feel like I've never given you enough credit"

"Oh, you have, Your Majesty" she replied

"Clarisse…I prefer to be called Clarisse… Besides, I won't be your Queen for much longer, soon it will be Mia… Actually… I, uh… I was wondering if you'd consider remaining my assistant, even after I step down…"

"I would be honoured, Your ma…" after a look from Clarisse she corrected "Clarisse"

"Excuse me, your Majesty…" came a doctor's voice as he bowed

"Yes?"

"I am Dr. Dawes, we met a few hours ago in the ER …" he began as she nodded "well, as I'm sure you're aware, Your guard's health isn't good. He had a mild heart attack a few hours ago which we managed to suppress … but the strain has led his renal system to fail … he's going to need a transplant. We also received these papers from the palace" he added handing a few sheets to Clarisse "You have been given his power of attorney… we need to know what you want us to do…"

"I…uh…" began the Queen totally surprised by this sudden turn of events "I…well…" finally composing herself she continued, sitting up straight "Find him a donor… All his expenses will be paid by the palace, so, any treatment he needs, give it to him"

"Yes, your Majesty. Excuse me" said the doctor bowing once more as he left leaving Clarisse and Charlotte in silence, both obviously surprised to find that Joseph had given Clarisse his power of attorney.

* * *

"…he just told me" said Shades as he replied to the Princess' questions in the waiting room "One day, Joe just told me that if anything ever happened to him, everything that was important was in a drawer of his desk … I was sitting here and suddenly remembered it … I had no idea he'd given…"

At that moment Clarisse entered the small room where they were all sitting with Charlotte behind her.

"Robert…" she began looking at Shades "I assume you were the one to know where the papers were…" he nodded "does anyone else know? What's on them I mean?"

"Not that I know, your Majesty" he replied standing very straight

She nodded "Well, I would like to ask you if we could keep this between the group of us … too many questions would…"

"I understand, your Majesty. No one will hear it from me" he assured her with a slight bow as she smiled.

"Thank you…" then she noticed Mia there "Mia, you're back already?"

"Yes, when Shades called the palace to tell us about the papers, I thought I'd send someone down to hand them over, but when I saw what they said, I figured you wouldn't want anyone else knowing … so I brought them down myself" she explained

"Thank you, my dear" said Clarisse smiling at her granddaughter

"Well, what is going to happen now?" asked Mia

"Dr. Dawes explained that Joseph will need a transplant, I told him to do anything he could to find a donor … so I suppose now we wait…" she sighed looking through the doors at where Joseph was lying, tubes and catheters sticking out of his arms, hands and mouth.

"It'll be alright" said Mia hugging Clarisse as her eyes began to water.

**TBC**

* * *

_I hope you liked that, please tell me what you thought :D_

_Thanks,_

_CJS-DEPPendent_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Disclaimer:**__I don't think I _really_ need to say this … but, no, I do not own the Princess Diaries (book or film), it's characters, or anything in it. I make no profit from these stories. I am merely borrowing these characters for fun._

_**A/N: **__Once again, thank you all for your amazing reviews! I really appreciate them and I hope the story doesn't disappoint…_

_Enjoy, and please review:_"Excuse me your Highness" said Dr. Dawes entering the small waiting room where Mia was resting against her husband's shoulder.

* * *

"Yes?" she asked sitting up

"Where can I find Her Majesty?"

"Oh, she's inside" she explained nodding towards the ICU

"Thank you…" he said with a bow and continued on to find the Queen.

* * *

It had been three hours since Clarisse had given the order to find a kidney for Joseph and she was now sitting next to him again, her eyes drifting between her sleeping son and her unconscious lover.

"Excuse me, Your Majesty"

"Oh, Dr. Dawes, any news?" she asked

"I'm afraid … we have contacted every Hospital within a viable distance. There are no matches … We don't have enough time to wait and find a compatible person who is willing to donate. The way things are going, he needs a transplant now… within the next twenty four hours, forty eight tops…"

Suddenly Clarisse's brain clouded, she had known that Joseph was in a life threatening situation, but she hadn't yet realised that she might lose him … that unless someone was found who was compatible, she would never again be able to speak to him or lie in his arms. And without even being aware of it, she found herself saying "Test me…" just as Mia and Charlotte entered the room.

"Your Majesty?" asked the doctor not quite sure he'd heard correctly

"Test me… see if I'm a match" she replied

"Oh, you're Majesty…I don't… It's a very risky operation … if you are a match … I wouldn't advise…"

"I said, test me…" she repeated

"What's going on?" asked Mia, who had just joined them, looking around

"My mother" began Pierre who no one had realised was awake "is asking to be tested to see if she would be a match for Joseph…"

"Oh, I didn't realise you were…" began Clarisse as she looked at her son

"And I applaud her…" he concluded

"Oh…son, I…"

"I really must say that…" began the doctor again but was cut off by Mia's hand on his shoulder

"With all due respect, doctor, you heard the Queen…" she said smiling at her grandmother as he, defeated nodded and moved to get a needle and syringe to get a blood sample.

* * *

An hour later, Clarisse was informed that she wasn't a match. And once again the search began.

"…there just aren't that many people with blood type B…" Pierre heard a nurse say from the other side of the curtain as they worked on Joseph.

"Excuse me…" he called

"Oh, yes Your Highness?" asked one of the two nurses

"Could you get me Dr. Dawes please?" he asked

"Uh, certainly, sir" she said reaching for her pager.

Five minutes later, the doctor entered the room "Is everything alright?" he asked

"Yes, in fact, everything is great … ah … where is my mother?"

"The Queen is resting in a private room down the hall…"

"Very well… I'd like to be tested for compatibility" said Pierre

"Your highness, I'm afraid, in your state, it's not advisable, your body isn't fully recovered yet…I…"

Shaking his head, Pierre smiled "Listen, doctor, I understand all of that, but no matter what is wrong with me, I am sure that I am in a better state than Joe, right?" he asked and the doctor nodded "Well, this man was there for me whenever I needed him as a child, as a teenager, and he even supported me when I announced I didn't want to be king … I owe him … and I want you to do this … I heard nurse, uh…" he checked her name tag "…James, say that his blood type is B … well so is mine … test it … "

"I…" resigned, the doctor nodded "very well…"

* * *

Sitting outside in the small waiting room, Lily, who had just arrived, and Mia saw the doctor leave with a small vial of blood in hand.

"Uh, doctor?" asked Mia standing up "What is going on?"

"Oh, your Highness, Prince Pierre has asked to be tested as well… I shall inform you of any developments, now if you'll excuse me" he said with a bow and left.

* * *

Two hours later, they received the good news that Pierre was in fact a match and, after signing his consent forms and being briefed by the doctors, he was prepped, along with Joseph.

"What's going on?" asked Clarisse as she entered the room

"Oh, Your Majesty, your son is a very close match…he has donated a kidney…but we really must hurry…"

"I…" she whispered, her mind flooded with facts and memories she'd spent over forty years suppressing.

"We'll take His highness up first, someone will be down shortly for Mr. Joseph. Excuse me" he said bowing and heading out as the nurses got ready to wheel Pierre away.

"Son, I…"

"I want to do this, mother; Joseph was always there for me…I have to do this for him…"

Knowing better than to argue with her son, Clarisse nodded, leaned down, a tear falling down her cheek and whispered "thank you…"

Taking his mother's hand, Pierre smiled back and said "I'll see you in a few hours, I love you…" as he was wheeled off

Now alone in the room, Clarisse turned to Joseph. Taking his hand in hers, she leaned down whispering "I'm so sorry, Joseph…" before brushing her lips to his and walking off as the doctors and nurses arrived to get him.

* * *

Watching her grandmother storm by and head for the room that had been prepared for her a few hours earlier, Mia excused herself and, leaving Charlotte, Lily, Shades and Nicholas behind, headed after Clarisse.

* * *

"Grandma?" she said knocking on the door

"Come in…"

As she stepped into the room and closed the door behind her, Mia saw that Clarisse was sitting on the bed facing the window, body shaking with sobs.

"Oh, Grandma, it's going to be fine…they're both going to be okay…" she soothed as she sat down next to Clarisse and placed an arm around her as the Queen cried on her shoulder.

**TBC**

* * *

_I hope you liked that, please tell me what you thought :D_

_Thanks,_

_CJS-DEPPendent_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Disclaimer:**__I don't think I _really_ need to say this … but, no, I do not own the Princess Diaries (book or film), it's characters, or anything in it. I make no profit from these stories. I am merely borrowing these characters for fun._

_**A/N: **__Once again, many thanks for all your kind reviews, and thanks to JulieFan35 for pointing out my mistakes…_

_Enjoy, and please review:_In the waiting room, Nicholas suddenly looked at Lilly who was intent on studying the wall ahead of her

* * *

"What are you doing?" he asked after looking from the wall to her a few times.

Shaking herself back to reality, Lilly looked around to see that Charlotte and Shades were also looking at her "I was just thinking … but it can't … I need to talk to Mia …"

Accepting that as an answer, the other three shrugged at each other and sat back as Lily continued to look confused at the wall.

* * *

In the room, Mia kept holding her grandma as her sobs subsided.

In her mind, Clarisse found herself back in 1964…

…_Rupert had been away for two weeks; he'd left a few days after the accident and was scheduled to return on that day._

_Lying on her bed, Clarisse groaned and covered her eyes with her forearm. _

'This can't be happening'_ she thought to herself _'This _really_ can't be happening!_'_

_But she wasn't naïve enough to kid herself. She'd been feeling sick every morning … she'd been strangely irritable … it didn't take a mathematical genius to do some math and realise that she was, most definitely and irreversibly, pregnant. _

'No…' _she heard herself moan as she turned onto her pillow and punched it. _

_It wasn't that she didn't want to have a baby. In fact, it was amongst the things she most wanted… But this … this was … _'What am I going to do?'_ she said out loud to no one in particular._

_She'd have to tell Rupert of course, but… she couldn't tell him that … _that_ … she couldn't … That's when the idea had occurred to her … it wasn't a truthful thing to do … it wasn't the right thing to do … but it was, under the circumstances, her only option … knowing Rupert, all it would take was a little silk lingerie … a bottle of Champaign … and in a month … she'd tell him … she'd _lie_ to him … but she had no choice … _

_On that morning, Clarisse Renaldi found herself, as she'd always done, choosing her duty to her country above what she wanted and made one of the hardest decisions of her life…_

Exhausted from all the events of the preceding hours, Clarisse soon fell asleep and, very slowly, Mia managed to lay her back on the bed and exit.

* * *

"Is everything alright?" asked Charlotte when Mia entered the waiting room

"She fell asleep" replied Mia with a sigh; the past day had taken a toll on her too "…she's exhausted"

"You look tired too" said Nicholas taking her hand from his seat "Sit down, relax a bit" he added pulling her down

"I can't… I have to go up to the OR and check on things"

"Don't worry, your Highness" said Shades standing up "I'll go"

"Oh, thank you…" she smiled at him taking a seat next to her husband and allowing him to place an arm around her.

Once shades had left and Charlotte had gone to look in on the Queen and make sure she was alright, Mia turned to Nicholas "Nick?"

"Hm…"

"Where's Lily?"

"Oh … she was looking very focused on something … then she said she had to go and check on something … she also said something about having to talk to you … but she had that scary look going so we didn't ask too many questions" he replied getting a slight laugh from Mia

"Ah … that sounds like Lily"

* * *

They had been told that a typical kidney transplant didn't take more than three hours. When three hours went by and Shades still hadn't returned to tell them that it was over, they began to grow concerned.

"We should really go and check…" said Charlotte checking her watch again

Looking at her husband who had long since dozed off on her shoulder, Mia nodded "I'll go … just … uh" she stammered as she tried to push Nicholas off without waking him.

Finally, she managed to push him so that he was leaning on the wall on the other side of his chair and, standing, walked out of the waiting room towards the stairs.

* * *

Ten minutes later, she returned.

"Things were taking a little longer because there were complications with Joseph…" she said sitting down next to Nicholas who was now snoring "…he's fine now, but they had to stop some extra bleeding when they opened him up … so they had to wait a little longer to actually start the transplant. They say they should be back down in about fifteen minutes" she informed Charlotte taking a water bottle from her purse which had been by Nicholas' feet and drinking.

"Thank goodness!" sighed Charlotte relieved that things seemed to be turning out alright "should I go wake her Majesty?"

"Uh…" began Mia thinking "you know what, lets let her sleep … she's been exhausted and, considering they'll both be asleep for a while after they arrive, we can get her when they wake up…"

* * *

"How are they, Doctor?" asked Mia as Dr. Dawes left the ICU after hooking Joseph and Pierre back up to the machines.

"Well, your Highness, so far so good … there isn't much I can tell you until they wake up. But everything seems to have gone well with the Prince, there were no complications and he should be alright to leave within a week … Mr. Bonnell on the other hand did have some complications and, considering he was in a coma even before the surgery, we have no way of knowing yet how his body will react … although we are feeling positive, we want to be cautious about it…" he explained

"Of course, of course" said Mia nodding as the Doctor excused himself and left just as Lili stepped into the room again "there you are!" she said

"Yea … sorry, I had to go set something straight … I think I need to tell you something … it's kind of important"

"Uh … Lili … do you think it could wait? I'm just feeling too tired right now to handle anything major…" said Mia sitting down

"Uh…" Lili really wanted to say that it couldn't wait but she knew it could … and it probably should, so instead she answered "sure" and sat down next to her friend waiting for some news from within the ICU.

* * *

As had been expected, the first to wake up was Pierre who, with a tube down his throat and needles sticking out of his arms and hands, managed to press the button and call the nurse.

Since everything seemed to be alright with him, the nurse was quick about removing the tube from his mouth so he could speak.

"Thanks" he choked out; having a tube stuck down his throat was possibly the most uncomfortable thing he'd ever experienced "how'd it go?" he asked the nurse in a low, raspy voice

"Well, everything went well with you … Mr. Bonnell however did have a few complications though the doctors were able to fix them and are feeling optimistic …"

"Has he woken yet?" he asked

"No … we're not sure when he will…" she said with a sad look to the bed where Joseph as lying.

"Alright…" he said looking down at his feet "Uh … could you tell my niece and mother that I'm awake, please?"

"Certainly, sir. Excuse me"

* * *

"Excuse me, ma'am" said the Nurse to Charlotte, the only person still awake in the waiting room "Prince Pierre has woken…"

"Oh, thank you"

"Should I go inform the Queen?"

"Uh … no that's alright. I'll do it" said Charlotte

"Alright, excuse me"

Getting out of her seat and walking across the room to where Mia was resting, Charlotte placed a hand on her shoulder saying "Princess… Princess"

"huh?"

"Princess, the Prince is awake … should I go wake her Majesty?"

"Oh …" sitting up straight and eliciting a groan from her husband who didn't seem too content with having her leave his arms, Mia thought about it "Is Joe up yet?"

"Not that I know, your Highness…"

"Well, in that case, let her rest … I'll check on them…"

**TBC**

* * *

_I hope you liked that, please tell me what you thought :D_

_Thanks,_

_CJS-DEPPendent_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Disclaimer:**__I don't think I _really_ need to say this … but, no, I do not own the Princess Diaries (book or film), it's characters, or anything in it. I make no profit from these stories. I am merely borrowing these characters for fun._

_**A/N: **__Guess what I'm going to say … yea … Thank you all SOO much for your reviews, and thanks again to JulieFan35 for her help spotting my mistakes … _

_Enjoy, and please review:_"I'm getting kinda bored of seeing you" joked Pierre as he saw his niece

* * *

"I was going to ask you how you were doing ... but I see you're back to your old self" she joked back, now standing beside his bed "how're you feeling?"

"I'm alright, I guess … too pumped up with drugs to actually feel pain" he smiled

Nodding, Mia replied "that is true…"

After a short silence, Pierre asked "how's my mother? I'm not sure how she feels about what I did … but I had to … you understand don't you?"

Nodding again, she replied "I do … and, I think she was just scared of loosing you. This whole experience has reminded her too much of loosing my father … It's understandable …"

"It certainly is … and, I don't mean to gossip … but, uh …" he nodded towards Joseph with an inquisitive look.

Mia knew exactly what he meant, but, not feeling that it was her place to tell him anything, she merely replied "You'll have to ask your mother about that …"

Understanding, Pierre nodded.

"Would you like me to go and get her? She's asleep just down the corridor" asked Mia

"Uh…you know what? Lets let her rest …" he replied receiving an approving nod from his niece.

Their little exchanges carried on for a while until, exhausted from the operation, Pierre fell asleep and Mia returned to the waiting room to tell the others that everything was alright with the prince.

* * *

In her room, Clarisse had been awake for a while, but, enjoying the calm and silence of her room, had chosen to remain there where she knew she wouldn't be bothered.

… _As she had predicted, Clarisse had had no trouble getting Rupert's interest. When he'd arrived, she'd merely slipped on what she knew was his favourite piece of lingerie and that had been that. But while, up till then, she'd always been able to enjoy her times with Rupert, this time she found herself crying as he made love to her. Crying because she was deceiving him, crying because she loved another, crying because she was deceiving the people of Genovia, crying because she was deceiving herself…_

After about an hour of reminiscing, Clarisse heard the door to her room burst open and Mia ran in.

"Grandma!" she called "Great, you're awake! Joe just woke up! They're taking his tube out … he'll be able to talk … I thought I should come and get you"

A smile suddenly covering her face before she could suppress it, Clarisse nodded and, taking enough time to make sure she looked presentable and didn't have tear marks running down her cheeks, made her way out of the room with Mia following close behind her.

* * *

Seeing the queen approach, Shades and Charlotte who had been next to Joseph when he had woken up bowed quickly and left, knowing better than to intrude on what was sure to be a very emotional moment.

Upon seeing Clarisse approach, Joseph's smile grew and her stomach twisted further into a knot. A single tear falling down her cheek, she barely registered Mia telling her that she'd be right outside.

Luckily, there was no one in the ICU at the time besides Clarisse, Joseph and Pierre (who was asleep). Because anyone who had witnessed the looks between the Queen and her bodyguard would have been able to corroborate any rumours about their relationship.

"Joseph…" she whispered as sobs began to take her over

"Hey…" he said taking her hand as she reached the side of his bed "…I'm alright … I was lucky, but I'm alright"

"I could have lost you…" she cried sitting in the chair which had been pulled right up to his bed "…you could have…"

"But I didn't, Clarisse" he interrupted smiling up at her, trying to assure her that things were alright now "I'm fine…"

"Oh, Joseph … look at all these tubes, all these machines … you are not fine…" she said looking around at all the machines that had been hooked up to him

"Alright … but I will be … I need you to believe that, Clarisse…" he said squeezing her hand lightly

Nodding, Clarisse wiped her eyes with her free hand "I do believe it … I need to believe it …"

"We both do …" he replied pulling her towards him.

Understanding, Clarisse leaned forwards and let her lips press against his. It wasn't anywhere near their most passionate kisses, yet it conveyed more of how they were feeling and how much they needed each other than any other kiss ever had.

* * *

Mia who had, guiltily, been watching the scene from outside the glass doors of the ICU, turned around, not wanting to intrude on the moment they were sharing.

* * *

"How is Pierre?" asked Joseph

"He's alright …" replied Clarisse smiling "he broke a leg and a wrist. But he's fine … You were the one in real danger … if Pierre hadn't been a match I don't know if …" but she was interrupted by Joseph

"Pierre? Match for what?"

"The doctor didn't tell you?" she asked

Shaking his head, he replied "No. they told me that he had been called into an emergency surgery and that he'd be down to explain everything to me as soon as possible"

"Ah…well, at the accident, you were injured"

"I vaguely remember that…" he replied with a light smile

"Well, one of the cuts you suffered went deep enough to damage your kidney … At, at first they thought it would be alright with just the first surgery … but then you … you had a heart attack …" registering his shocked face, Clarisse squeezed his had " …when they stabilized you, your renal system began to fail and you needed a transplant. We couldn't find you a match … but then Pierre heard that you two have the same blood type … so he volunteered to be your donor"

"Pierre did wha…" began Joseph but he couldn't find the words to describe the gratitude he felt towards the younger man

"I wasn't sure what you wanted … I admit I didn't really consider that you might not want …" Clarisse had known that, having Joseph's power of attorney, it had been up to her whether or not he was to be kept alive through artificial means. But she had to admit that she had never considered turning off the machines … she would not give up on him like that; not without a hell of a fight.

"Clarisse…" he began tightening his hold on her hand "…I gave you my power of attorney because there's no one I trust more with my life. My heart belongs to you, both figuratively and literally. I trust your instincts and I know that you will always do what you feel to be the right thing…"

"I just wasn't sure if…" she began again

"Clarisse, I'm glad you chose the path you did, because I don't think I could have died peacefully without ever seeing you again" he replied as she started crying again "Come on … don't cry, Clarisse" he said rubbing soothing circles on her hand with his thumb. If it weren't for his weakened state and the tubes sticking out of his arms, he would have liked nothing more than to take her in his arms and hold her until she stopped crying. But for now, there was little he could do.

"It's just … when I realized I could lose you … that you might … that you might never wake up … I just couldn't …" she leaned forwards onto the bed and now had her face buried in her arms, one of her hands still clasping his.

Bringing his other hand too rest on her head, he intertwined his hand in her golden hair murmuring anything and everything he could think of to sooth her and bring back the smile he loved.

**TBC**

* * *

_I hope you liked that, please tell me what you thought :D_

_Thanks,_

_CJS-DEPPendent_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Disclaimer:**__I don't think I _really_ need to say this … but, no, I do not own the Princess Diaries (book or film), it's characters, or anything in it. I make no profit from these stories. I am merely borrowing these characters for fun._

_**A/N: **__Sorry that I took a bit longer to post this, but real life just got in the way … thank you all, again, for your lovely reviews and I hope you enjoy this next chapter._

_**A/N2:**__ Thanks again to Julie Fan35 for helping me out._

_Enjoy, and please review:_"I'm going to see if everything is alright" said Mia who, after an hour, was wondering if Clarisse and Joe might need something.

* * *

"Alright, we'll be out here…" said Nicholas giving her a little kiss

* * *

"Grandma? Joe?" asked Mia standing behind the curtain that had been drawn all around them.

"yes?" came Joe's voice from the other side.

Taking that as an invitation to enter, Mia pushed the curtain aside to see Clarisse sitting next to Joseph, their hands clasped tightly together. When she saw her granddaughter, Clarisse seemed to try and remove her hand from Joseph's grasp, but he just tightened his grip and suddenly they seemed to make the silent decision to stop hiding so much.

"I was just wondering if everything was alright, or if you needed something"

"Thank you my dear, but I think we're fine" said Clarisse smiling at Joseph

"Actually…" he said smiling back at Clarisse "You could do me a favour…"

"Name it" she said stepping closer to the bed

"Take your grandma home…"

Sitting up straighter, Clarisse looked at him "what?! No … I want to stay here…"

"Mia, has she been home yet?" he asked with a smile and Mia shook her head "well then, I'm awake, I'm alright, I really want you to go look after yourself, Clarisse. Get some sleep, eat … and don't you let her come back until she's rested …" Joe added to Mia who nodded and, taking her Grandma's hand pulled her up from the chair.

"Alright …" said Clarisse to Mia "…but only if you stay here and promise to call me if anything … and I mean anything" she added with a firm look at Joseph "should happen"

"Fine…" agreed Mia.

Once Clarisse was up, there was an awkward silence as she pondered kissing Joe, Joe waited for her to, and Mia wondered whether she should leave or not. To her surprise, Clarisse took a deep breath and leaned down, brushing her lips to Joseph's. Not accustomed to this, Mia couldn't help but look at her feet, although she was happy to see that they were finally ready to own up to how they felt.

* * *

"Nicholas…" said Mia as she and her grandmother entered the waiting room "…are you still going up to the palace?"

He nodded "I need a shower and this canteen food is not particularly good … but I'll be back soon"

"That's fine … but uh, could you take my grandmother with you?" she asked smiling at Clarisse "I know you brought your car, and we don't really need to draw attention to us with a royal car …" she said

"Of course … Your Majesty …" he motioned for her to walk ahead of him and, after a last kiss to Mia, left after her.

* * *

Soon after Clarisse and Nicholas, Joseph joined Pierre in a deep sleep and Charlotte and Shades decided to go up to the palace too leaving Lili and Mia to watch over the two patients.

* * *

"Thank you for this, Nicholas" said Clarisse sitting beside him in the front seat of the car.

"You're welcome your majesty"

"Tell me something, Nicholas" said Clarisse looking over at her "how are things?"

Nicholas knew that the Queen had been a bit sceptical bout his marrying her granddaughter considering he had tried to steal the crown away from her, so he understood why she might want to be kept aware of how things were.

"Everything is going very well, your Majesty…" he said as he turned towards the palace entryway "…everything is quite perfect, actually" he said causing a smile to erupt on Clarisse's face.

* * *

"Mia…" said Lili looking to her side "…you remember that thing that I wanted to tell you about?"

"Oh … yea" Mia sat up a little straighter "shoot…"

"Uh…" noticing a nurse who had just sat down at the admittance desk near by, Lili motioned that they should move into the ICU.

* * *

Checking to make sure Joe and Pierre where asleep, Lili turned to Mia and bit her lip nervously.

"What is it? You're making me nervous…" said Mia looking at her best friend.

"Well… you know uh, how your uncle has the same blood type as Joe?" asked Lili getting a 'duh' look from Mia "Right, well … while they were in surgery, I remembered something I overheard some of the maids saying at the palace a few weeks ago on the anniversary of your grandfather's death… about how they couldn't find anyone to match his blood type?"

"Yes…" said Mia not seeing where this was going

"They said that your grandfather's blood type was A … not AB … I'm sure you remember in biology … those genetics square things we had to draw…" Mia nodded "Well … you're grandmother's blood type is…"

"O, the same as mine" Mia filled in looking slightly confused

"Exactly … and, uh … Mia …" Lili pulled out a little drawing she had made on a cafeteria napkin "If your Grandmother is O … then her two alleles are O O … if your grandfather was A … his were either O A or A A … there is no way you can combine those to get blood type B …" explained Lili looking a little uncertain

"I…" Mia wasn't sure what to say. Had Lili really just told her that Pierre couldn't be Rupert's son? Was it possible that her grandmother had … Mia simply couldn't believe that something like that was possible.

"Mia?"

"I don't … Are you sure?" she asked knowing that Lili wasn't one to tell her something like that unless she was certain of her facts.

Lili merely nodded as Mia added "So … what your saying is that, my grandfather couldn't be…"

Still nodded, Lili stated "which begs the question: how long have your grandmother and Joseph been together?"

**TBC**

* * *

_I hope you liked that, and sorry it's a bit shorter than normal, please tell me what you thought :D_

_Thanks,_

_CJS-DEPPendent_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Disclaimer:**__I don't think I _really_ need to say this … but, no, I do not own the Princess Diaries (book or film), it's characters, or anything in it. I make no profit from these stories. I am merely borrowing these characters for fun._

_**A/N: **__And now for chapter 10 …_

_**A/N2:**__ Huge general thanks to everyone whose been reviewing: thank you!_

_**A/N3:** Some of you noticed that I had posted chapter one accidentally again as chatpter 10 ... here's teh ACTUAL chapter 10 ... sorry for the mix up_

_Enjoy, and please review:_

* * *

Now back in her suite, Clarisse collapsed on her bed and noticed, for the first time since the whole ordeal had begun, that her back and neck were killing her.

Sighing deeply, she turned so that her head was resting on her pillow and looked up at the painted ceiling, her thoughts, once again slipping.

…"_Rupert…" called Clarisse knocking on the door_

"_Come in…"_

_Motioning, with a pain deep inside her, for Joseph to wait outside, Clarisse pushed the door to her husband's study open and entered making sure it was firmly closed behind her._

"_Rupert… There's something I need to talk to you about…" said Clarisse approaching his desk "uh … maybe we should sit over there…" she motioned to the two leather couches by the fireplace._

_Unsure of what was going on, Rupert nodded, eyeing his wife curiously and took a seat where she told him to._

"_Is something wrong?" he asked her_

"_Wrong?" she swallowed; yes something was definitely wrong "No, not at all. I just … uh. Rupert, do you remember that night about a month ago? When you returned from Paris?" she asked_

"_How could I forget…" he said with a smirk_

_Forcing a smile, Clarisse continued "Well … Rupert, I, uh, I'm pregnant …"_

_There was a short silence during which time they just stared at each other, a smile growing on Rupert's face before he lunged forwards and took her into his arms, kissing her thoroughly. _

_--_

_That night in their room, Clarisse rolled around in bed and faced away from her snoring husband. _'That's that'_ she thought. Rupert was going to be a father, she was going to be a mother and within the next seven to eight months, they'd have a baby to look after. But the truth is that _'_that' _wasn't_ really 'that' … it never would be, because there was just so much more to it all … so much that she'd never be allowed to say … so much he would never be allowed to know…_

After a two hour sleep that Clarisse had had no intention of taking, she took a long soothing shower and, after a change of clothes, descended the steps to the main doors of the Palace where Nicholas was already, as they'd agreed, waiting for her.

* * *

Joseph wasn't quite sure how long it had been since Mia and Lili had had their talk in ICU. But he did know that, after the shock of what he'd heard settled in, pretending to be asleep had become excruciatingly difficult. After all, how do you simply lay back and listen to someone insinuate that …

'_No!'_ Joe mentally yelled at himself _'It can't be … Clarisse would never … It can't be … It … well it _can_ technically be … but it just …_'

"Hey!" a voice pulled Joseph out of his thoughts "you're awake!"

Having woken up a few minutes earlier, Pierre had decided to check on Joseph and, pulling the curtain that separated them to the side, found him lying in bed, his eyes open, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Huh? Oh! Yes…" said Joseph looking up at the younger man. It was strange looking at him now, knowing that he might be … '_No, he can't_'

"Are you alright?" asked Pierre noticing Joseph's expression

"Yes … yes I'm fine … I uh …" pushing all thoughts out of his mind, Joseph focused on what he really needed to say to Pierre "… I wanted to thank you, you know, for everything you did. I hear that if it weren't for you I'd…"

Smiling, Pierre shook his head "You don't have to thank me; it was the least I could do. You stood by me when I wanted to live my life away from the palace, it was only fair that I stand by you and do everything possible to have you live your life to its rightful end…"

Smiling, Joe nodded "well, thank you … it takes a great deal of courage and selflessness to do what you did … I … just, thank you"

"Anytime" replied Pierre with a laugh before adding "well … not really … I mean, if you ever need an organ that I have two of, you know where to find me … kidneys? I'm afraid I only have one left … and I kinda need it …"

Getting a laugh back from Joseph, Pierre took the older man's hand smiled just as the curtain was pulled apart and Clarisse appeared.

"Oh! Pierre! You're awake!" she exclaimed hugging her son

"Yes, I just thought I'd check on Joseph … make sure my kidney was working for him …" he added with a smile to Joseph who was simply staring at Clarisse.

Noticing this, Pierre decided to sink back into the shadows and allow his mother and would-be stepfather be alone.

"Uh … I'm going to see if the nurse will let me walk around a bit … I'm kind of bored of this bed" said Pierre as he walked away

After her son was quite a distance away at the other side of the room, Clarisse smiled at Joseph.

"I'm all rested as you suggested … so now don't even thing of sending me away again …" she said sitting down and taking his hand which he promptly kissed.

"Clarisse, my dear … is, uh, is everything alright?" he asked not exactly sure how to bring the subject he was being tormented by into the conversation. '_How exactly do you ask some one "hey, I was just wondering, what are the odds that your son is actually my son too?"_' he thought to himself.

Slightly confused, Clarisse gave him an inquisitive look "yes of course, darling, everything is fine…"

"It's just I … I don't know … I sense that something is different … I …"

Silence

In Clarisse's mind, she began to panic. '_I don't want to lie to him! He doesn't deserve it! Not after all he's been through … but how do I …_' she thought just as Joseph wondered if he should let her bring it up or not.

When it became apparent that neither of them would say anything, Joseph figured out what he could say to lead the conversation

"Well, I suppose I'm very lucky that Pierre was a match … from what I hear, not many people have blood type B …"

An 'alert' sign suddenly flashing in front of her eyes, Clarisse looked down at him "Well, we would have found you a donor … I wouldn't have rested until we did …" she replied smiling.

"I know that … I just feel very, uh, blessed to have someone like him in my life … you and Rupert raised a great kid …"

The look in his eyes was enough to tell her he knew; there was no point lying any more.

Sighing, Clarisse closed here eyes and almost whispered "you know, don't you?"

**TBC**

* * *

_As always, I hope you enjoyed that, I'm off to write some more. Please let me know what you thought :D_

_Thanks,_

_CJS-DEPPendent_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Disclaimer:**__I don't think I _really_ need to say this … but, no, I do not own the Princess Diaries (book or film), it's characters, or anything in it. I make no profit from these stories. I am merely borrowing these characters for fun._

_**A/N: **__I'd like to send out a HUGE apology for the long wait. Real Life just completely got in the way of my writing time and I haven't been able to get anything down on paper for ages. (If any of you take, or have heard of, the IB diploma, you'll understand why I have so little time for anything). I hope your all still interested and, just so you know, I fully intend to finish this fic! It isn't forgotten at all! _

_Enjoy, and please review:_

* * *

Having his worst fears confirmed, Joe merely looked away from her. At the ceiling, at the curtain, at the door, anywhere but at her.

Clarisse didn't know what to say. Truth be told, she had never really pondered what she'd say when this moment finally came because she had always been fully aware of the fact that the arrival of that moment would almost certainly mean the end of her relationship with Joseph and, subsequently, the end of her life as she knew it.

"…know what?" asked Joseph seemingly still intent on having her verbally confirm it all.

"I…Joseph, I…I just … I can't … you know and … I'm so sorry … I … I just don't know how … Its just so…" but she was interrupted by Joseph's suddenly harsh voice.

"Yes, Clarisse. I know it's hard to say, and believe me, its going to be harder to hear … but I refuse to believe it until I hear you say the words … so Clarisse, if it's true, if Pierre is … if … Just tell me!"

"Joseph, I…" unable to stand the new pressure added to the already stressful situation, Clarisse began to cry.

For Joseph, it was one of the hardest things he'd ever experienced. He desperately wanted to take her hand and comfort her; but, on the other hand, she had been the one to hurt him … he was the one in need of comforting and compassion … but oh, it hurt as much to see her like this as it did to know she had lied to him for over 40 years.

Turning his face to the other side so that his emotions could not be spotted, Joseph spoke again "Just say it, Clarisse" he sighed "I think I … WE … have the right to know the truth …"

Clarisse knew he was right, but how exactly was she going to let the words escape her mouth? How was she going to say what she had been hiding from everyone, herself included, for over 40 years? She hung her head.

"It is" she whispered in a voice so low that Joseph barely registered that she had made a sound.

"What was that?" he asked turning his head slightly in her direction.

"I…" taking a deep breath and some how finding the courage that had eluded her for so many decades, she spoke with a short nod "It is … It's true … and Joseph … I …" she attempted to take his hand which was lying by his side but he promptly removed it, this time turning his head completely away from her.

Not knowing how to respond, Clarisse felt the tears she had been trying to hold back moments earlier flood her eyes and standing up, whispered a low "I'm sorry" before rushing out of the ICU.

* * *

"Mia?" asked Lily who had been sitting by her friend outside the double doors of the ICU for about an hour "Mia, what are you going to …"

"I'm going to talk to her … I'm going to hear her side of the story before drawing any conclusions, I owe her at least that much …" she said in a surprisingly queen-like voice considering how shaken she was feeling inside.

Just as Lily replied with a nod and a hand on Mia's shoulder, the doors to the ICU opened and they both sat in shocked silence as Her Majesty stormed out in tears.

"You don't think that …" said Lily following Clarisse with her eyes as she walked past them, her sobs growing stronger and walked down the corridor, presumably to the room that had been secured for her.

"…she … he … they …" began Mia

"…know?" completed Lily still staring at the door the Queen had just passed through

"I'm going to go talk to her" said Mia standing up "If you find Nick, tell him I'll be back as soon as I can"

"Alright" nodded Lily as Mia left.

* * *

Lying in his bed, his mind racing, Joseph's thoughts raced back to that night, 43 years ago…

… "_Your Majesty" Greeted Joseph as Clarisse entered the dining room where her husband was already waiting_

"_Joseph" she nodded in return, oddly never meeting his eyes _

"_Ah, there is my beautiful wife" Greeted the King standing up and moving to Clarisse's chair and pulling it out for her; something Joseph noticed was strangely out of character._

"_Good morning, dear" she replied with a smile before sitting down._

"_Well, if you don't need anything else, your Majesties, I really should go attend to some problems…"_

"_Actually, Joseph there is something …" began Rupert and Joseph noticed how Clarisse looked at her husband for a brief instant, her fork paralysed half-way between her plate and her mouth._

"… _You have been my wife's personal bodyguard for quite some time now … and, don't get me wrong, you have been doing an exemplary job …"_

_To this, Joseph couldn't help mentally replying _"yea, except when, you know, I fell in love with her and then slept with her"

"… _however, under the present circumstances, I must ask you if you feel that, perhaps, more security should be added …"_

_Utterly confused, Joseph asked "…eh, 'present circumstances', sir?"_

"_Oh, you don't know? Apparently the maids don't know every thing" he replied with a chuckle completely ignoring the fact that Clarisse was completely silent and intent on studying her plate "Her Majesty is pregnant …" finished Rupert with a smile, placing a hand on Clarisse's shoulder and squeezing lightly._

_Joseph felt like a large bulldozer had just run him over … _"Well, at least this _must_ be what having a bulldozer run over you feels like_" he thought to himself as he felt a fake smile creep on his face and a forced "Congratulations" escape his mouth._

"_Well …" continued the King, so enclosed in his own happy world that he still didn't notice that his wife, and now Joseph, were completely avoiding the other's eyes "… what do you think? Should we get more security?"_

_Clearing his throat as best he could, Joe replied "Well, I sincerely think that, while in the palace, no extra security is needed … however, in public, once the news gets out, I would recommend some added men, yes"_

"_Very well" said the king with a nod_

_Taking that as his cue to leave, Joseph bowed quickly and left. Breaking into a run as soon as he was clear of the dining room, he stopped only in his room where he sat on the bed, his face not able to settle for one emotion, his eyes fixed on the mirror in front of him, somehow unable to recognize the man reflected in it. _

* * *

"Grandma?" asked Mia opening the door slightly "Grandma, are you alright?"

Inside, she spotted Clarisse curled up on the bed, her body shaking with sobs. Not waiting for an invitation, Mia pushed the door open and quickly moved to sit on the bed next to Clarisse, placing a comforting hand on her Grandmother's shaking arm and, in a series of whispers, trying to sooth her.

"oh Mia!" cried Clarisse "I have ruined everything … everything" she sobbed even harder "I… Joseph will never … I can't … If you knew …"

"I do know, Grandma, I know…" said Mia rubbing the older woman's arm lightly

"You … you do?" asked Clarisse for the first time looking up at Mia in total and utter shock.

Mia nodded "Yes, uh, Lily figured it out a while ago … I was going to ask you about it … but now …"

"What have I done?" asked Clarisse turning her face into her pillow

Looking at the wall in front of her in search of an answer, Mia replied "Well … you did what you have always done … you placed your duty to your country before your duty to yourself … I …" not quite sure why she believed it, but knowing that she did, Mia added "… I think, in your place, we all would have …"

Still sobbing, Clarisse shook her head into her pillow and spoke into it "I lied! I lied to Rupert, to Genovia … to Pierre and Philippe … to Joseph! I don't deserve forgiveness!"

"You know that's not true, Grandma!" said Mia now looking at the Queen "I forgive you, I'm sure Pierre will too and Joseph … I _know_ Joseph will forgive you. He loves you so much. He waited for decades while you were married, he always stayed there, in the shadows, waiting for you. You have to know that he would never let this get in the way of…"

"He doesn't even want to look at me!" replied Clarisse

"He's in shock" Mia sighed "I mean, wouldn't you be? If you were in his position? It's a lot to digest … with everything that is going on, you have to understand why he's acting like this … you have to understand that he needs his time … you've had 43 years to get used to this idea … he hasn't even had 43 minutes!"

To this the queen didn't respond, she merely lay there, sobbing fiercely while Mia, not knowing what else to do, did her best to sooth and comfort the woman she owed so much to.

**TBC**

* * *

_As always, I hope you enjoyed that, I fully intend to post more as soon as I possibly can. Please let me know what you thought :D_

_Thanks,_

_CJS-DEPPendent_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Disclaimer:**__I don't think I _really_ need to say this … but, no, I do not own the Princess Diaries (book or film), it's characters, or anything in it. I make no profit from these stories. I am merely borrowing these characters for fun._

_**A/N: **__Yay! I managed to update within a reasonable amount of time! :D Thank you all so much for your reviews, I'm very happy that you're all liking this!_

_Enjoy, and please review:_

* * *

After having walked up to the cafeteria, Pierre returned to find Lily and Nicholas talking in low, urgent voices. Seeing the prince approach, the two promptly stopped whispering, albeit in a less than subtle manner.

"what's going on?" he asked

"Oh, eh … we, uh …" began Lily looking at Nicholas for help

"Is it Joseph? Has he gotten worse?!" asked Pierre, concern becoming evident in his voice and face

"Mia!" exclaimed Lily when she saw her best friend re-enter the waiting room "How's your grandma?"

"She's asleep now … but she's not good, Lily. I don't know what to do!" said Mia dropping into the seat next to Nicholas

Looking at all the worried faces around him, Pierre was starting to feel very uneasy "Will someone please tell me what's going on?" he asked

Again, Lily looked at Nicholas who, in turn, looked at Mia who seemed to have just realised her uncle was in the room.

"Well … eh …" she started desperately looking at Nicholas for help. After all, how was she supposed to tell her uncle that what was going on was that the man he had believe to be his father for 42 years, was in fact, not? Besides, she felt that it should be Clarisse or Joseph, or, hopefully, both to tell him.

"Pierre, why don't you go inside and talk to Joe?" suggested Nicholas more to try and take the pressure off his wife than because he believed talking to the guard would answer Pierre's question.

"Er, actually, Pierre, why don't you go and sit with Grandma? I'm sure she'd like you to be there when she wakes up" said Mia standing "I'm going to talk to Joe…"

"Alright…" said Pierre looking from one face to another hoping minimally understand what was going on. Not finding any hint of what the problem was, he decided to follow his niece's advice and left heading towards Clarisse's room.

Once he was gone, Mia decided to go talk to Joe and, bidding her husband and friend goodbye, headed into the ICU.

* * *

"Joe?" called Mia as she pushed the curtain aside and stepped into the little cubicle area.

Lying in his bed, Joseph's eyes were fixed on the ceiling. He vaguely registered Mia's voice and was almost certain that his head had responded with a slight nod, though he was feeling so out of it that he might have merely imagined the whole thing.

"Joe?" Mia asked again

"Your highness …" he replied barely looking at her but acknowledging that he had heard her.

"Joe … can we talk? … I eh, know …" she started hoping that, if he'd only open up a bit and discuss his feelings, she may be able to salvage his relationship with her grandmother.

"With all due respect, princess, this is between myself and your grandmother …" he replied looking at her for a short while with a face that obviously said the last thing he wanted was to have a deep discussion at the moment.

"I know Joe …" said Mia taking a seat next to the bed "but I'm scared that, if no one says anything, if you two are allowed to do things your own way, you'll end up never working through this … Please talk to me Joe, I know how much you love her .. don't tell me that thi…"

Now Joseph was fully conscious and listening "You want me to tell you that this won't get in the way of my relationship with her? Mia, she _lied_ to me! And it wasn't just any lie! I have a 42 year old son and she never told me, she never bothered to inform me of that! She's been lying to me, to Pierre, she lied to your father and grandfather … Hell! She's lying to the whole of Genovia! Mia, that is not the Clairsse I fell in love with … how can you ask me to be understanding in this? The woman I fell in love with, the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with …" he sighed " … that woman obviously never really existed anywhere but in my head"

Turning away from Mia, Joseph focused on the vase of flowers that had been placed on the table beside his bed. Mia no longer knew what to say. She knew this was a serious matter, that Joseph had every right to be furious; as did everyone else, really. But she loved her grandmother, and even if on a different level, so did Joseph and it just seemed to her that, letting that slip away, after so many years of waiting, would be wrong on too many levels to let it happen.

"Joe … she loves you so much, I just …" she began but was quickly interrupted my Joseph who was furiously shaking his head

"Princess, I have a son out there who doesn't have my name! All my life I thought that it wouldn't matter, never having had kids. I felt that waiting for the day when I could spend the rest of my life with your grandmother was what I should do, and if that meant that I'd never have kids, then I was ready to accept that. But that doesn't mean that I didn't want any, it doesn't mean that I never regretted it! And now I find out that one of the boys I always loved as my sons really _is_ my son? I find out that I could have had it all, the whole thing, the whole family experience? That it was always there under my nose? That the jealousy I felt watching his Majesty holding his brand new baby boy with Clarisse, smiling at his side could have been avoided? I find out that all these years of waiting and hiding were unnecessary! She could have spared us both the heart ache and the lies … she could have …" he shook his head again "… but she didn't. For 43 years I have waited and loved her in secret, and now I find out that she was … don't tell me that she loves me! _I_ love her! I love her and could never do something like this to her … _never_!"

Mia considered pointing out that it wasn't as linear as he was making it, that, because of who they were, there were many more aspects to take into account, but she knew full well that he, rightly so, was in no state to hear it. So, shaking her head sadly, she limited herself to standing and leaving the shattered bodyguard to rest. As she left however, Mia was sure that she saw a tear fall from the bodyguard's eye, and the image broke her heart.

**TBC**

* * *

_As always, I hope you enjoyed that, I fully intend to post more as soon as I possibly can. Please let me know what you thought :D_

_Thanks,_

_CJS-DEPPendent_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Disclaimer:**__I don't think I _really_ need to say this … but, no, I do not own the Princess Diaries (book or film), it's characters, or anything in it. I make no profit from these stories. I am merely borrowing these characters for fun._

_**A/N: **__Once again, sorry for the delay … but my chemistry teacher decided to set a test on 4 different topics for the first day after half-term break so I've been studying like mad … I swear if I read one more page about Lattice Enthalpies or the Born-Harber cycle I may explode! Anyway … I hope you're all still liking this enough to leave me some more of those lovely reviews ... :)_

_Enjoy, and please review:_

* * *

Alone, Clarisse couldn't help thinking back to the morning where Joseph had been told that she was pregnant, the morning she placed within the 5 worst of her life.

…

"_Your Majesty …" Joseph nodded at her as she entered the dining room where her husband was already waiting for her._

"_Joseph" she nodded in return doing her very best not to look him in the eyes. _

"_Ah, there is my beautiful wife" Rupert happily greeted her as he stood to pull a chair out for her. Apparently her being pregnant meant he would be acting like a gentleman._

"_Good morning, dear" she replied with a smile before sitting down._

"_Well, if you don't need anything else, your Majesties, I really should go attend to some problems…" said Joseph and Clarisse hoped he _would_ leave and the inevitable could be postponed. Obviously, her husband had other ideas. _

"_Actually, Joseph there is something …" began Rupert and Joseph noticed how Clarisse looked at her husband for a brief instant, her fork paralysed half-way between her plate and her mouth._

"… _You have been my wife's personal bodyguard for quite some time now … and, don't get me wrong, you have been doing an exemplary job …"_

_As Rupert said this, Clarisse could almost see the thoughts flying in Joseph's head; particularly that thought, that memory …_

"… _however, under the present circumstances, I must ask you if you feel that, perhaps, more security should be added …"_

_Utterly confused, Joseph asked "Eh, 'present circumstances', sir?"_

"_Oh, you don't know? Apparently the maids don't know every thing" he replied with a chuckle which Clarisse barely registered as her head began throbbing and something, somewhere in her chest tightened. "Her Majesty is pregnant …" finished Rupert with a smile, placing a hand on Clarisse's shoulder and squeezing lightly._

_The look on Joseph's face was almost too much for Clarisse to bare and she knew, all too well, that he no more meant the "Congratulations" which escaped his lips than she wanted to keep up her lie. But he had no choice but to say it … and she had no choice but to keep it up._

"_Well …" continued Rupert, so enclosed in his own happy world that he still didn't notice that his wife, and now Joseph, were completely avoiding the other's eyes "… what do you think? Should we get more security?"_

_Clearing his throat as best he could, Joe replied "Well, I sincerely think that, while in the palace, no extra security is needed" Clarisse was sure his eyes had momentarily rested on her "however, in public, once the news gets out, I would recommend some added men, yes"_

"_Very well" said the king with a nod_

_Joseph had left in a very hasty manner, something which went compleltley unnoticed by the king. Faintly hearing the sound of running footsteps, Clarisse felt an overwhelming urge to run after him, to just tell the truth and be with him, be his wife, be there for him always. But as Rupert began another long description of what he'd be discussing that morning in parliament, Clarisse knew she wouldn't ever be able to follow her heart. She had made her choice at 19: duty to her country over love; now she had to live with it._

_…_

"Mother?" came Pierre's voice from the doorway "mother?"

The mere sound of his voice made Clarisse's body rock with sobs again. She knew Joseph had been right, they both had a right to know … but telling Pierre. She hadn't the faintest idea how to do it. How to tell her son, the young boy who had ran around following Joseph pretending to be his mother's bodyguard, that she had lied to him all along; that the king who'd raised him wasn't his father.

"I'm sorry…" was all she could manage.

Not understanding what exactly his mother was apologising for, Pierre approached the bed and, taking a seat next to her, wrapped his arms around her as she cried.

"It's alright, cry all you need" he whispered rocking her back and forth.

In both their minds, the resemblance of that moment to one a mere 13 years earlier was more than evident.

…"_Pierre?" Clarisse had called as she opened the door to the young Prince's room "son?"_

"_leave me alone" he had whispered back drying his tears and doing his best to hide his emotions as his father had told him, years ago, was the way to be a man._

"_Son, talk to me …" _

"_I can't … I don't want to … this life … this is Philippe … its not me … I can't do it … I can't … I _won't_ be king …"_

_Clarisse had seen this day coming for some time. When she'd seen her son storm out of his father's study, she'd been almost certain that this had been the issue._

"_It's alright, Pierre … it's going to be alright" she'd whispered to him taking him in her arms like she'd done when he was just a little boy and doing her very best to comfort him._"Mia?" said Nicholas when his wife sat next to him, her eyes filling with tears "sweetheart?"

* * *

"I …" she said, tears no falling down her cheeks "It's all just so …"

Taking a seat on Mia's other side, Lily placed a hand on her shoulder "Hey, come on, you know it's going to work out, you know it's all going to be fine, in the end. We all know how much they love each other. Do you think _anything_ could keep you from Nick?" she asked

Mia looked up at her husband's blue eyes and shook her head

"Exactly, and we both know that they love each other too much to be apart. They just need time … and support …" spoke Lily again as Nicholas pulled Mia towards him and kissed her forehead.

* * *

That evening, in the little nurses' cubicle on the far end of the ICU room, nurses James and Lawson were talking in hushed voices.

"You can't!" said Emily James, the young nurse who had attended to the Prince

"You bet I can, and I did! I have two young sons and no husband! This is going to pay, big!" she said looking over her friend's shoulder at the sleeping forms of Joseph Bonnell and Prince Pierre.

"Where's your sense of loyalty? Hell … where's your sense of professionalism? You know, doctor patient confidentiality"

"I'm not a doctor" Gabby Lawson replied with a smile as her cell phone went off and she picked up "Hello?"

…

"Yes, that was me … uhuh … of course its true! … I'm their nurse! I know! … run the story and you'll see … alright … I'll find something concrete!"

While she listened to her colleague's conversation, Emily's pager went off and she had to run to attend to a patient. Had she remained in the ICU, though, she would have seen Gabby pick up the Prince's genetic work up and, looking around to make sure no one spotted her, place it in the photocopy machine.

**TBC**

* * *

_As always, I hope you enjoyed that, I fully intend to post more as soon as I possibly can. Please let me know what you thought :D_

_Thanks,_

_CJS-DEPPendent_


	14. Chapter 14

_**Disclaimer:**__I don't think I _really_ need to say this … but, no, I do not own the Princess Diaries (book or film), it's characters, or anything in it. I make no profit from these stories. I am merely borrowing these characters for fun._

_**A/N: **__Hey! Surprisingly I actually got to update this weekend! And it's an especially long chapter too :D … I really love writing this story and, at the moment, it's helping me forget about the chemistry test I have tomorrow morning and the pain I have from having a wisdom tooth taken out (the first of four, by the way … [ouchy]). So, yea, I hope you enjoy this, and hopefully I'll be able to post again soon (maybe I'll get some writing done this week to get my mind off the Biology test I have coming up as well :P)_

_Enjoy, and please review:_

* * *

"Grandma?" spoke Mia in a low voice as she entered the room

"Yes?" asked Clarisse, who was curled up on the bed, in a small voice

"I'm going up to the palace for the night, Charlotte has just come back and she says she'll stay here through the night … shades is on his way to stay with her. Lily and Nick are coming with me … we think you should come to. You need to rest, and there isn't much you can do here …" said Mia moving towards the foot of the bed so she could see her grandmother's face

Much to the Princess' surprise, Clarisse didn't argue. She merely let out a long breath and closing her eyes for a few more moments, slowly sat on the edge of the bed, slipped her feet back into the shoes she'd left by the bed and, letting out another breath nodded and stood to follow Mia.

* * *

"Are we ready?" asked Lily who was standing by the doors leading into the ICU waiting room

As Mia nodded, Clarisse spoke "I'm just going to uh … check on Pierre for a moment. I'll be right back."

Considering the constant turn of events, nobody knew whether the queen was really going to check on her son or if she was just making an excuse to see Joseph, so no one offered to go with her.

* * *

"Pierre?" whispered Clarisse as she stood at the foot of the bed

"Hmm?"

"Darling, I'm going to the palace, alright?" asked Clarisse thankful for the fact that it was dark and she couldn't look him the eyes.

"Mhm" Pierre mumbled in return, obviously too sleepy to formulate any words

"Alright …" sighed Clarisse taking a step back from the bed.

As she did so, she caught some movement in the bed next to her son's and, not really thinking, looked in the direction only to meet Joseph's cold, angry eyes which were lit by the small bit of light escaping through the doors that linked the ICU to the waiting room.

Frozen for a few seconds, Clarisse didn't know what to do, what to say or where to go. Luckily, at that moment, Mia poked her head through the doors and called for her.

Just as Clarisse got, once again ready to leave, she saw Joseph turn away from her, not a word spoken, not even a small facial expression to help her understand what he was feeling, to tell her that there was still hope; nothing. A tear slipping from her eye, Clarisse turned briskly and walked towards her granddaughter, her heels clicking on the hard white floor as she did her best to hide the tears before the light hit her and everyone started to fuss over her.

* * *

Awakening from a foggy dream, Joseph looked around the ICU. Everything was dark except for the bleeping green lights of the machines he was attached to and the faint light coming through the doors to the waiting room where he could vaguely make out two people sitting and talking.

Wondering who they might be, Joseph's thoughts inevitably fell on Clarisse, and suddenly the pain returned. It wasn't the sharp physical pain one might expect after surgery, it wasn't the terrible tightening in his chest the heart attack had caused. No. It was another kind of pain, a kind of pain that only comes with severe heart ache; severe heart ache and love.

Shutting his eyes tightly, Joseph willed himself back to sleep. At least with the drugs, he seemed incapable of a coherent dream; at least in his sleep, he could escape the reality of it all and relax.

* * *

"Princess!" came Charlotte's panicked voice over the phone at 7 am the next morning

"Uh…" grunted Mia who had just looked at the clock and was feeling like strangling someone "yes?"

"Princess, I'm sorry to call you at this time … but, uh… have you seen the paper … no, of course you haven't … I … uh …"

Taking a deep breath, Mia sat up in bed "Charlotte! … Charlotte! Breath … what's going on?"

"The papers … the …" over the phone, Mia could hear the faint noise of a television "the TV … they're saying that … oh, god! … that the Prince is … uh … Joseph and … Clarisse …"

Not needing to hear any more, Mia was suddenly out of bed and on her way to get dressed, the phone held tightly to her ear "Charlotte … Charlotte! Listen to me … keep this quiet, keep reporters out of there, and, whatever you do, don't let Grandma, Joe or Pierre see this … please …"

"But uh …"

"Charlotte, I'm on my way down there right now … just stay there and wait for me, alright?"

"Certainly, Princess …" replied Charlotte seconds before Mia turned off the phone and rushed out the door, leaving a quickly scribbled note on the dresser for Nicholas.

* * *

"Shades!" called Mia as she saw the security guard standing outside the waiting room doors, his shades on, his uniform straight and his 'on duty' face showing that he wasn't one to be messed with "shades…"

"Good morning, your highness" he replied

"Where's charlotte?" she asked

Looking behind his shoulder, Shades spoke "she's inside … those lies … it's just …"

Not wanting to have to lie to the man by agreeing to how horrible the 'lies' were, Mia merely patted him quickly on the shoulder before rushing into the waiting room where Charlotte was sitting, news paper on her knees, TV flashing images of the royal family.

"Charlotte…" Mia spoke in a low voice as she approached the assistant

"Oh, your highness … I … look" she said handing Mia the paper

Looking down at the large letters at the top of the page, Mia's gut churned, this was not going to be easy … in fact, it was going to be messy, tough and simply down right painful.

**--**

**Sex, Lies and the Bodyguard**

**Genovia's first world-class Royal Scandal?**

As it turns out, our trusted, beloved and exemplary Queen might not be as exemplary as we thought. Late last night, reports came in that Pierre Renaldi, King Rupert and Queen Clarisse's first born son, may in fact, not be a Renaldi at all. "He couldn't be" says an inside source at the hospital where the Prince and the Queen's personal Bodyguard, Mr. Joseph Bonnell, are being treated following the car crash which had us all fearing for the Prince's life "It's simple genetics. He just couldn't be." According to this anonymous source and the evidence they produced, it appears that we have all had the answers under our noses for some time: As was well reported at the time of his death, His Majesty King Rupert (may he rest in peace)'s blood type was A+, as it appears, her Majesty's is O- and, by what can only be described as magic, the Prince's is B+. Now, any basic biology text book will tell you that in no way can the blood types A+ and O- be combined to give B+; so there is no way that the King and Queen could have had a baby with blood type B+. If this shocking discovery weren't enough, our goes further and gives the name of the Prince's biological father: Joseph Bonnell, the queen's personal (apparently more than we thought) bodyguard.

There has been suspicion for quite some time now, as to the true nature of the Queen's growing friendship with the bodyguard. Especially since the King's death, the idea that the Queen may have found a new love in the 63 year old man has been thrown around on more than one occasion. However the thought that this new lover may have actually been present in Her Majesty's life for over 4 decades was one that never crossed this country's mind.

From the onset, there are four questions which need to be answered: Is Joseph Bonnell really the father? Was he the Queen's only lover, or were there others? Was Prince Philippe also the product of adultery? Did King Rupert know? As we await further developments on this story and, hopefully, a statement from the palace, if not from the Queen herself, we will leave you with this thought: Do we have it in our hearts to forgive Clarisse Renaldi, or is the ascension of Her Highness, Amelia Renaldi going to happen earlier than planned?

--

Speechless, Mia could do nothing but stare at the page in front of her. She had known all of it, she had come to terms with it all, and yet, seeing it in print and knowing that, come noon, every person in Genovia, above the age of 10, would know, she was completely speechless.

"Your highness?" spoke Charlotte. When she received no response, she continued "If I may, Princess, I feel we should call her Majesty. All she has to do is to go on television and tell them all the truth … tell them all that this is nothing but li…" when she saw Mia shake her head, Charlotte stopped talking, the thought that it might, in fact, be true clouding her mind "No…"

Now Mia switched from shaking her head to nodding "I'm afraid so, Charlotte … I …"

"No! It can't be! Her Majesty wouldn't …" began Charlotte

"Charlotte! It is … and this" she held up the paper "Is going to make the whole situation harder than I had expected"

"Er … I'm sorry, 'you expected'?" asked Charlotte confused

Sighing, Mia sat back in her chair "When Pierre was found to be a match for Joseph, Lily figured it all out. She realised that Pierre couldn't have that blood type and be … my grandfather's. Somehow, Joseph found out as well … and, he and my grandmother have, well, he refuses to even look at her …"

Gasping, Charlotte shook her head "This is … this unbelievable … I … uh …"

"Charlotte, I need to know where you stand on this … she needs our support, she's beating herself up about this enough as it is … and besides, the truth is, we all would have done the same thing, in her place …" to her relief, Mia saw Charlotte nod

"You're right Princess, of course. I'm sorry I just … it's shocking … I … I want to help, I'll do whatever I can …"

"Thank you" sighed Mia placing a hand on Charlotte's shoulder

**TBC**

* * *

_As always, I hope you enjoyed that, I fully intend to post more as soon as I possibly can. Please let me know what you thought :D_

_Thanks,_

_CJS-DEPPendent_


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